Following the recent announcement of an advanced humanoid robot developed by the University of Tehran's Advanced Vehicles Center in Iran, this week Turkey has officially unveiled their SURALP humanoid robot. Developed during an eight year research effort, the robot can perform basic motions such as walking forwards and backwards or picking up and throwing away trash.

While it may not be the most advanced humanoid, it shows how much the field has progressed since HONDA begun development of its Asimo in the late 1980s: With active humanoid research programs in the Far East, Europe, the USA and now the Middle East, Robotics has transformed into a truly global effort, which should open the door to a wealth of new and diverse ideas.